It's also binary thinking to compare the people protesting the free speech rally to those that used bats to beat people and cars to run over people in Charlottesville. The magnitude of violence wasnt in the same stratosphere which is why the two events shouldn't be reported the same.

I'm not sure that's binary thinking. It's more on a continuum. If Charlottesville was at one extreme on that continuum, it doesn't mean that we should condone lesser violence. Similarly, just because one group (white supremacists) are on the extreme end of the continuum of those who want to take away rights, it doesn't mean we should excuse others trampling on fundamental freedoms.

I don't like how certain elements on the right, including posters on this blog, talk about BLM. I'm not a big fan of Antigua. But it is wrong in my book to lump BLM together with them. And it is worse to somehow use this to equate BLM with the KKK.

I'm aware of the attempt to delegitimize BLM by equating them with other groups. We can do better than that here on Cblog.

I don't like how certain elements on the right, including posters on this blog, talk about BLM. I'm not a big fan of Antigua. But it is wrong in my book to lump BLM together with them. And it is worse to somehow use this to equate BLM with the KKK.

I'm aware of the attempt to delegitimize BLM by equating them with other groups. We can do better than that here on Cblog.

Again, I'm not going to get into a back and forth on this.

Have you actually read the mission statement of BLM? Any of their quotes regarding their movement, political beliefs, or responses to those killed at their rallies? Any of the data that completely contradicts their claims? The BLM movement is one of the worst things that has happened to our country within the past few years. And no one individual or group can be so irrationally extreme without being met with contention -- Hence, Trump's presidency.

‪Speech should always be upheld as sacrosanct. Be wary of anyone opposing free speech or advocating for violence, even under the auspices of "shutting down hate speech". It is a political tactic used to shut down dissenting opinion or to act violent towards another human being.

I don't like how certain elements on the right, including posters on this blog, talk about BLM. I'm not a big fan of Antigua. But it is wrong in my book to lump BLM together with them. And it is worse to somehow use this to equate BLM with the KKK.

I'm aware of the attempt to delegitimize BLM by equating them with other groups. We can do better than that here on Cblog.

Again, I'm not going to get into a back and forth on this.

Have you actually read the mission statement of BLM? Any of their quotes regarding their movement, political beliefs, or responses to those killed at their rallies? Any of the data that completely contradicts their claims? The BLM movement is one of the worst things that has happened to our country within the past few years. And no one individual or group can be so irrationally extreme without being met with contention -- Hence, Trump's presidency.

I don't like how certain elements on the right, including posters on this blog, talk about BLM. I'm not a big fan of Antigua. But it is wrong in my book to lump BLM together with them. And it is worse to somehow use this to equate BLM with the KKK.

I'm aware of the attempt to delegitimize BLM by equating them with other groups. We can do better than that here on Cblog.

Again, I'm not going to get into a back and forth on this.

Have you actually read the mission statement of BLM? Any of their quotes regarding their movement, political beliefs, or responses to those killed at their rallies? Any of the data that completely contradicts their claims? The BLM movement is one of the worst things that has happened to our country within the past few years. And no one individual or group can be so irrationally extreme without being met with contention -- Hence, Trump's presidency.

Perfectly said. The BLM movement is a shocking one, and much of their message stems from a falsehood (the whole Michael Brown incident and "hands up don't shoot" springs to mind).

good turn out to show the right wing that they are not even close to the majority of voices.

It was a fantastic counter-protest. A couple of scuffles out of a total of 15,000 people is not comparable to driving a car into a crowd.

Those who organized the 'free speech' rally are just a bunch of dumbos. Rhetorical questions: What was their goal? What did they want to see changed? This is why their rally fell apart (along with being out-numbered 15,000 to about 100), they had nothing to say, no goal, no speakers no rally organization.

NO ONE is arguing the right to free speech. The counter-protesters are arguing the against hate speech. Nearly everyone agrees with that. Is it protected, yes of course. Is it OK? No. don't forget "...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..." is protected as even more fundamental than the Bill of Rights, but alt-right generally ignores that part.

good turn out to show the right wing that they are not even close to the majority of voices.

It was a fantastic counter-protest. A couple of scuffles out of a total of 15,000 people is not comparable to driving a car into a crowd.

Those who organized the 'free speech' rally are just a bunch of dumbos. Rhetorical questions: What was their goal? What did they want to see changed? This is why their rally fell apart (along with being out-numbered 15,000 to about 100), they had nothing to say, no goal, no speakers no rally organization.

NO ONE is arguing the right to free speech. The counter-protesters are arguing the against hate speech. Nearly everyone agrees with that. Is it protected, yes of course. Is it OK? No. don't forget "...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..." is protected as even more fundamental than the Bill of Rights, but alt-right generally ignores that part.

This post is just so misinformed I don't know what else to say. What happened yesterday was absolutely insane and actually kind of frightening. Only took a few seconds to find the first event on Facebook and see them denouncing hate groups. Didn't matter to tens of thousands of people. Orwellian.

I was not there but I followed the happenings leading up to the event closely, as well as the event itself as it unfolded, through livestream. I do not know the organizer, John Medlar, but I looked into him, by all accounts he is a libertarian leaning Republican who was concerned about free speech being under attack across the nation, most notably on college campuses. Medlar organized this event, and echoed time and time again, to anyone that would listen, that white nationalists were not welcome to speak at this particular event. Medlar even reached out to Black Lives Matter and other left leaning organizations to try to quell the misunderstanding. The events unfolded and this mythical narrative, that this was some form of racist rally, persists.

I find this troubling on multiple levels:

- The attack on free speech.- The lack of honest journalism/media.- The blatant demagoguery by politicians.- Ignored or downplayed violence.